SCARBOROUGH, Ont. - Centennial College's Department of Athletics and Recreation is pleased to announce the hiring of Trevor Challenger as the new head coach of the Colts men's varsity basketball program. Challenger takes over for long-time head coach Jim Barclay.
"We are pleased and excited to welcome Trevor as the new head coach for men's varsity program," said manager of athletics Darcy Brioux. "Trevor is a true mentor of student-athletes. He was brought on last year as an assistant to the men's basketball program and we were able to see him interacting and working with our student athletes in which he did a fantastic job. Trevor is also an avid recruiter and has a deep appreciation for the history of Centennial's basketball program. We felt it time to go in a new direction for our men's basketball program and after an extensive search Trevor emerged as the best candidate to take up task of leading us in that direction for the future."
Mr. Challenger has been mentoring student-athletes in CCAA, TDSB, and CIS for over 16 years. Coach Challenger prides himself on teaching core values, morals and ethics, while challenging young adults to be professional both on and off the court instilling the importance of education and teamwork. Trevor has coached many athletes who have seen success on several levels including high school, college, university as well as professionally. Trevor was instrumental on developing two CCAA all-Canadians. A Level 3 certified coach, Trevor has been a basketball instructor at various camps and clinics throughout the GTA for a number of years. He will look to make an impact immediately in taking up the gauntlet of working with the Colts in their new summer basketball camp come this July.
During his playing days, Trevor was three-time Ontario high school medalist in basketball and track and field. He was also honored three times as a Toronto Star high school all-star basketball player while at Runnymede. Besides playing in Canada, Trevor attended prep school and college in the United States. Returning home Mr. Challenger won the 1997 OCAA provincial championship and CCAA national championship with Durham College. He then went on to win an OUA provincial championship attained while at Ryerson University.
Aside from his coaching duties at Centennial, Trevor is the head coach for Central Toronto Academy junior boys basketball team and is currently entering his third season. Trevor has extensive OCAA coaching experience as an assistant at George Brown College (2004-07), and Seneca College (2012–15) and joined Centennial in 2015-16. Mr. Challenger now takes the reigns as the head coach for Centennial.
"I believe that the basketball philosophies that I want to instill will mesh well with the Colts culture in helping student-athletes to prepare for success in the years to come as well as helping to build a formidable men's basketball program," said Challenger.
The Colts will look to return to the days of old of men's basketball prominence and dominance. Centennial's first game is on the road versus St Lawrence College-Kingston on Friday, Oct. 21 where they will open the season. The team will then return home on Friday, Oct. 28, and play against the Fleming Knights for the home opener 50th anniversary alumni weekend gala celebration and after party.
The Centennial Colts will play host to this year's OCAA Men's Basketball Winter Classic to be held Dec. 27 and 28. Also the college has been named host of this season's 2016-17 OCAA Men's Basketball Championship series that Centennial are guaranteed to be a part of. The event will take place will take place from March 2-4 inside the Progress Campus AWC.
Centennial is looking forward to a very exciting year full of action for the men's basketball program.
Source: Centennial College